“Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent ” declared Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars in their 2014 hit Uptown Funk. Yves Saint Laurent held its fashion show in Paris a few weeks ago. But where were the Chucks? Likely stuck on a retailer’s discount rack.

Elliott Hill, Nike Inc.’s chief executive officer, revealed a day after the Saint Laurent show that sales at Converse , maker of the Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker, had fallen 28% excluding currency movements in the sportswear giant’s first quarter. Rather than suffer the distraction of trying to put the minor brand on a stronger footing, Hill should sell Converse- or at least be open to offers.

As the heat from Adidas AG’s Samba sneaker fades, consumers are looking for alternatives. Converse tends to go in and out of style. It was hot in the e

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